The Philippine National Basketball Team

The Philippines was suspended by the International Basketball Federation on July 2005 after a long standing feud between the Philippine Olympic Committee and the BAP.

The story began on April 10, 2005, when the BAP-sponsored Cebuana-Lhuillier Philippine National team (comprised of little-known amateur players) lost to a lowly Parañaque Jets team (made up of showbiz personalities) in an NBC Preseason tournament at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. After hearing the news, POC President Jose "Peping" Cojuangco called for improvements on the national team, most notably, the sending of a new team made up of professionals from the Philippine Basketball Association.

While both parties, with the involvement of the Philippine Basketball Association, the Philippine Basketball League, the UAAP and the NCAA, reportedly agreed on an agreement on the formation of a new national team, things soon returned to the usual verbal war. The POC, through a vote, first suspended, then in a later meeting, expelled the BAP as the official National Sports Association (NSA) member and installed a new member in the Philippine Basketball Federation. The BAP, under new President Joey Lina, said that the expulsion was unconstitutional in the by-laws of the POC.

The situation worsened, when both parties still could not agree on who will banner the national for the Southeast Asian Basketball Association tournament, a qualifier for the FIBA-Asia tournament in Doha, Qatar. FIBA Secretary-General Patick Baumann, then handed the suspension of the RP team from any FIBA-sanctioned tournament.

In hopes of securing a long term solution, FIBA, in a memorandum, ordered the PBA, PBL, UAAP, NCAA and Joey Lina (as a person or in Lina's claim, as a representative of the BAP) to form a new constitution or a formation of a new basketball body.

By March 2006, four stakeholders have signed into the propose new basketball body, which later named as Pilipinas Basketball. Lina, however, has refused to sign on the memorandum, citing unbalanced factors that was put in the draft for a new body. After the four stakeholders met with Baumann in South Korea, the suspension was not even lifted nor was the draft for a new body was even accepted since Lina has not signed it.

However, in a significant move by both Pilipinas Basketball and the BAP at the FIBA Congress in Japan, both parties signed an agreement that will pave the way for the formation of a new cage body on or before September 30. The deadline lapsed and no significant moves had been made until February 5, 2007. After several meetings between FIBA Secretary-General Patrick Baumann, PB, and BAP officials in Geneva and Bangkok, a Unity Congress was held in which BAP, PB and Baumann attended. The BAP and PB agreed to merge to create the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) as the new national federation. The Philippine Olympic Committee recognized the group as the national governing body for basketball, and then the FIBA finally lifted the two year old suspension.

On February 24, a day after the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, national team head coach Chot Reyes announced the composition of the national team for the 2007 Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) tournament. The finalists of the said tournament would qualify for the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Olympic basketball tournament

Guard- Jimmy Alapag- 1977 - Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
Guard -Ren-Ren Ritualo- 1979 Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
Guard- Dondon Hontiveros -1977- San Miguel Beermen
Guard -Jayjay Helterbrand- 1976- Barangay Ginebra Kings
Guard- Mark Caguioa -1979 Barangay Ginebra Kings
Forward- Danny Seigle- 1976- San Miguel Beermen
Forward- Tony dela Cruz- 1978 - Alaska Aces
Forward- Kerby Raymundo -1980 - Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants
Forward- Ranidel de Ocampo -1981 - Air21 Express
Center -Asi Taulava- 1973 - Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
Center- Mick Pennisi -1975- Red Bull Barako
Alternates/Reserves
Forward Enrico Villanueva 1980 Red Bull Barako
Center Rommel Adducul 1976 San Miguel Beermen
Center Rafi Reavis 1977 Barangay Ginebra Kings
Forward Rudy Hatfield 1977 Barangay Ginebra Kings